Transit Oriented Developments
= Transit Oriented Development (TOD) = Transit oriented development is designed to promote the use of the city’s transit systems as a main form of transportation for its citizens. In doing so it reduces the use of personal transportation vehicles, and decrease the energy use per rider. TOD also promotes better and more sustainable usage of land because you no longer have to expand and build new transportation corridors, instead the land may be used for various land uses (commercial, residential, industrial) incorporating both low and high densities of each land use. Some of the main components that are involved in transit oriented development are as follows: Walkability This encourages communities to have, work or transit close by to get to work, schools, churches, parks, recreation centres, shopping, and office space all within walking distance. Two of the most important factors to making a community walkable are proximity and connectivity. The shops, school, ect must be close enough to walk to and be easily connected without any barrier (fences, roads, parking lots) in the way. Some options to make a community include, enhancing aesthetics in the area, locate parking in the back of buildings, separation between the walker and roadways via trees or boulevards, having an area that has multiple land uses so residents can shop and go to work not far from home, and many more Transit Station at the Centre'' Having the transit station at the centre of the development with mixed land uses and recreational areas encourages residents to walk and take city transportation to work and other areas. Mixed land uses' Having mixed land uses in the same area promotes people not to use their personal vehicles and to walk. Bike,rollerblade, or skateboard to work or to shop. The average distance to the outer edge of this mixed commercial and residential area should be around 600m. In this area you can have high density residential located near the transit line itself to reduce noise pollution from the trains or buses. A little further in you will have commercial building that are not too high and keep the human scale in mind. Human scale essentially means there is no need for skyscrapers here 4-5 stories max is ideal. The commercial can have retail in the lower level and office or executive lofts located above. In doing to then allows the residents to walk to work and shopping with ease, and if what they need is not there the transit system is not far away to get to another location. '''Provide multiple routes to transit station ''' Within your 600m mixed land use areas there should be multiple routes to take to get to the transit line and the commercial and office areas. The routes within the 600m should be pedestrian only walkways where outside would be your road and park and rides. Developing a community with these points in consideration has the following environmental, social, and economic impacts: o Environmentally is reduces air emissions as less personal vehicles are being used. Reduces the surface area of impermeable barriers (streets, parking lots, highways) allowing rainfall water to flow naturally through the system. Having less roadways also decreases the pollutants from automobiles that are collected by rain water and flow into our waterways. o Socially creating walkable areas creates aesthetic areas where people feel safer and can interact with others in the community. Prompting walking instead of personal vehicles increases the overall health of a community by having more people being physically active. o Economically health cost are reduced via the increased physical activity of the residents. The costs of building and maintaining large transportation corridors are reduce. Residents of the community are more likely to spend more money at shops and commercial outlets around the TOD because they are not stuck in traffic for hours at time.